Chapter 70 Jealousy Takes a Cold Bath.
With a flick of her wrist, Yue Yining tossed the string of copper coins onto the stone brick ground, stirring up a cloud of dust, and the flames suddenly went out.
Her mind was clear, like clouds dispersing after rain, radiating light. She had roughly figured out the ins and outs of the infant case; now, some details still needed to be deduced and confirmed.
“Yaoyao,” Yue Yining said in a deep voice, “take out all the copper coins you have with you and pour them on the table. Keep your voice down, there are guards outside the door.”
Fu Yao immediately agreed.
Since arriving in Suyang, Fu Yao has been in charge of their money. However, Fu Yao doesn't take all of their money with her when she goes out. Most of their money is kept in the side room of the city lord's mansion, along with other belongings and luggage, and is watched over by the guards from the princess's residence who remain in the city lord's mansion.
A thick layer of copper coins was spread out on the table, like a mountain of fallen leaves, which Yue Yining scanned one by one.
If it is made of pure copper, the color of newly cast copper coins will be like the purple of the sunset, and after years of circulation, it will gradually turn into a mature chestnut brown; while copper coins mixed with 40% lead will be like the moon covered by evening clouds when they are first made, and the surface pattern will have a cold tone of crab shell blue.
It took some time to sort the copper coins, but once they were all sorted, the situation became clear.
“The copper coins mixed with lead were all cast between the sixteenth and seventeenth years of the Jiahe era, which means that the casting of coins mixed with lead only started in the last year.” Yue Yining’s fingertip traced the pattern on the back of the copper coin. “Although it was only for a year, the copper coins from Suyang were supplied to various places, and the circulation of official coins was extremely high. It is likely that inferior coins had already flooded half of the market.”
Fu Yao looked somewhat bewildered: "Miss, what would happen if the market were flooded with counterfeit money?"
Yue Yining didn't answer her directly, but asked, "Yaoyao, do you think lead or copper is more expensive?"
"Of course copper is more expensive."
"So, if you were an ordinary person with money, would you choose to spend your lead coins or copper coins first?"
“Lead coins…” Fu Yao suddenly realized, “I understand, Miss! Because copper is more valuable, people will choose to spend the lead coins they have first and save the copper coins!”
"That's right. Over time, the market will be filled with lead coins. Everyone knows that copper is expensive, so they would rather melt down copper coins to cast bronze artifacts and sell them than spend them like lead coins."
Yue Yining slowly explained, “Over time, things that used to cost one string of copper coins now cost two strings. Prices rise and copper coins depreciate. Because of the fluctuation in the value of copper coins, some people will refuse to accept copper coins in transactions, making copper coins no longer a good medium of exchange. Currency becomes ineffective, and barter becomes the only option. It becomes more difficult to buy or sell things, and the social economy will decline.”
First, pure copper coins were hoarded or melted down by speculators to cast utensils, resulting in lead coins circulating in the market. Transactions reverted to bartering with silk, and grain merchants displayed "copper coin rice prices" and "lead coin rice prices," leading to rampant price gouging. Then, the government continued to collect taxes in copper coins according to the old system, forcing farmers to exchange them for lead coins. Money shops took the opportunity to raise exchange rates, increasing the actual tax burden on the people fivefold, exacerbating the conflict and triggering a wave of refugees. Finally, military arrowheads could not be manufactured by melting down copper coins, or their high lead content would cause them to shatter upon contact with armor. A crucial battle in the late Western Lin period was lost because of this, ultimately leading to the fall of the city and the destruction of the kingdom.
Therefore, the proliferation of inferior currency in the market is by no means a good thing. On the contrary, if left unchecked and allowed to spread unchecked, it could very likely lead to social unrest and endanger the rule of the emperor.
Yue Yining pressed the copper coin in her hand deeply, the skin of her fingertips etched with patterns, leaving a diamond-shaped mark on her white fingertips.
She slowly began to speak: "Most importantly, lead coins are toxic and will gradually erode a person's health."
During the later years of the previous dynasty, the use of lead coins became rampant. Craftsmen who were constantly in contact with lead coins developed symptoms such as "trembling hands and bloodshot eyes." The miscarriage rate among pregnant women surged, and various chronic diseases affecting the elderly and children became prevalent. The vegetation around the mint withered, the well water became foul-smelling, and any land where lead poisoning remained would not produce crops for three years.
Lead coins are toxic, but people were unaware of this in the early stages of circulation. New coins, with only slight wear, were even used to make accessories for children. Furthermore, local tradition in Suyang favored adorning newborns with copper coin necklaces. She believes that many infants, out of curiosity, would grab the coins around their necks and lick them. This is the reason why Suyang has seen a surge in sudden infant deaths since last year.
If lead was only added to copper coins last year, then the change in the color of the smoke from the mint can be explained. It is because the material ratio of the casting has changed too much, and lead has accelerated the dissolution of copper, resulting in more copper patina being precipitated. This patina is then reflected by the copper mirror wall that has been erected for many years, which is why there is a rumor of the green ghost.
Since the Jiahe era, there had never been any cases of corruption related to coin minting, but such cases were not uncommon throughout history. After all, 40% lead could be exchanged for 40% precious copper, which was then secretly sold throughout the north and south. The taxes paid by the people thus ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials. It was a risk-free and highly profitable business; holding such power and facing readily available profits every day, anyone would be tempted.
At this point, the truth behind the Green Ghost case has become clear.
After hearing Yue Yining's analysis, Fu Yao was greatly shocked: "So...it was all because of these copper coins!?"
"But... but if it's lead poisoning, doctors should be able to tell easily. Why did so many children die and no one figure out the cause—"
Jiang Hairong, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up: "Because this is Suyang."
"The doctors in Suyang all became accomplices of the government a year ago."
Yue Yining stopped fiddling with the copper coins in her hand and looked up at her with her long eyelashes.
Jiang Hairong's hands, hidden in her sleeves, were trembling uncontrollably. Her head was lowered, obscuring her expression, as she muttered to herself, "No one tells the truth. Because those who do tell the truth are either gone or dead."
Jiang Hairong remembered that when she learned of her master's death, she stood in this hall, her hands trembling, just like now. She didn't know why her master, who had only been detained by the government for a few days, would suddenly die in prison. She could only listen blankly as the officials gave her perfunctory answers, telling her that they would give her an explanation after the body was collected.
When her master left her, he smiled and said that she would be back soon. And indeed, she did return to Jiang Hairong's side, but only as a box of ashes.
Her master said that she was the greatest folk doctor in the world, and those people wouldn't be foolish enough to let her die in prison.
But she did die.
Jiang Hairong also knew who had killed her.
“A year ago, when the law on practicing medicine was first promulgated, my master was very opposed to it. She said that firstly, the cost of medical treatment for ordinary people would increase exponentially, and secondly, doctors in clinics would be controlled by the government. After all, without the government’s approval, one could not practice medicine in Suyang, and there was no uniform standard for obtaining approval; it depended on personal connections rather than ability. In the long run, this would only lead to doctors having to curry favor with officials in order to make a living, which would have endless consequences.”
Jiang Chiyin was a remarkable doctor. Her medical skills were superb, yet she charged only a small fee for her consultations and frequently gave away medicinal herbs to her neighbors. She enjoyed high prestige among the people of Suyang, which is why she dared to speak out for them.
However, they all underestimated the Jin family's unbridled nature.
"Mr. Yue," Jiang Hairong sobbed, struggling to speak, "I really tried to save those children, so many of them. I saved them all, and I told their families it was lead poisoning, but no one, no one believed me. They all said I was a liar, that I was just trying to swindle their money, that I was so young and my words carried no weight, that I was no match for those white-haired old doctors sitting in their clinics..."
She wanted to loudly refute them; they were wrong. Age was not the standard for measuring medical skill. Her master, Jiang Chiyin, was only in her thirties, but none of those old men who held positions of power in the clinic could compare to her. And she, Jiang Hairong, was her only disciple. She wouldn't be mistaken, she wouldn't lie, and she was no less skilled than anyone else.
But that was just Jiang Hairong's fantasy. In reality, she would just stand there, her hands and feet ice-cold, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.
She was a timid person, unlike her master who was brave and passionate. After her master passed away, she didn't even dare to announce his death and moved away. As Liang's parents said, she left Suyang in a great hurry because she was too afraid. For a long time afterward, she stopped treating patients and lived in a small town not far from Suyang, making a living by collecting medicinal herbs.
If she hadn't heard about the rampant infant death syndrome, she wouldn't have dared to return to Suyang. She feared that one day she would be caught and die in prison, and then no one would clean her master's ashes.
“Only you,” she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, “you are the first person to believe what I say.”
Tears streamed down my nose and lips, some seeping in, salty like a small lump of salt in my mouth.
Jiang Hairong couldn't help but wipe her eyes, trying to hide her tear-filled state and avoid looking too disheveled, but the next second someone gently put their arm around her shoulder and hugged her. This person was really going too far, even patting her head.
"It's not your fault that we couldn't save them," Yue Yining gently comforted her. "Don't cry, why are your tears falling like this?"
Yue Yining knew she wasn't good at comforting people, but she didn't expect that her words would make Jiang Hairong cry even harder.
There was nothing else she could do. Yue Yining could only look helplessly at Fu Yao not far away. However, Fu Yao shrugged, indicating that there was nothing she could do either. "Miss, you'd better figure it out yourself."
“…” Yue Yining sighed inwardly and said in a low voice, “I know all of this.”
Yue Yining knew that Jiang Hairong wasn't just strolling around; she had a specific purpose in approaching and visiting the Liang family. She knew that Jiang Hairong harbored a secret, yet she had also selflessly helped the dying infant. Yue Yining had realized from the beginning that Jiang Hairong was someone who knew the truth, which was why she had her stay in the lobby and openly explained the origins of the Green Ghost case to her.
“But things are far from over,” Yue Yining said. “These are just my deductions. I still need to get concrete evidence. Everything we’ve discovered today must be kept from the Kim family.”
"Tonight I will find an opportunity to sneak into the mint and obtain physical evidence. As for you, if you are willing to be my witness, I will immediately send someone to rent a carriage and escort you back to Yanjing. I guarantee you will wait there for Jin Yuanxiu, who has been convicted and imprisoned."
"Don't worry, I will protect you."
After finishing her sentence, seeing that Jiang Hairong had finally stopped crying, Yue Yining felt a little relieved: "That's right, children should smile."
Jiang Hairong choked back tears, barely managing to control her overwhelming emotions. She looked at Yue Yining: "How do you know I'm younger than you? You even called me a child, but you're not that much older than me, are you?"
Yue Yining: "Aren't you seventeen?"
How did you know?
"I guessed." Yue Yining chuckled, her eyes shining brightly, like torches and flames. "I recently comforted a girl who was also seventeen. You two look quite alike when you cry, so I guessed you were too."
Jiang Hairong was slightly taken aback. She pursed her lips and said, "I understand. I promise you."
"...But, can I stay a little longer?"
Yue Yining asked in confusion, "Hmm?" "What else do you plan to do here?"
Jiang Hairong lowered her head, swallowing back many words. She wasn't sure if she could say them, so she simply kept quiet.
She said in a hoarse voice, "I...I don't really want to leave here yet."
“It’s possible, but if I fall out with Jin Yuanxiu, your situation will be very dangerous. I’ll be returning to Beijing in two days. If you don’t plan to leave immediately, you can come back with me then,” Yue Yining instructed. “However, you must be extra careful these next two days.”
Jiang Hairong thought she was about to pull her hand away, so she couldn't help but pull up her sleeve: "I still have something to say."
"Actually, I've been secretly investigating these matters. If you need, I have some clues about the Kim family and the case..."
Jiang Hairong was unable to finish speaking because the closed door suddenly made several muffled thuds, very polite knocking sounds.
Yue Yining immediately looked up and gestured to Fu Yao to collect all the belongings on the ground and the copper coins on the table.
She straightened her clothes and slowly walked over to open the door.
The moment the door opened, Yue Yining smiled and asked, "Is there any new clue—?"
The person standing outside the door was neither the government official nor the gatekeeper she had expected.
Despite wearing a simple, dark stone-colored robe, she seemed to weigh down the entire twilight. Outside the door, Xie Qingyu looked down at her with a gentle smile. His warm and handsome face seemed no different from usual, still radiant and exquisite, like a piece of ancient black jade that had come to life and become a spirit.
Upon seeing Yue Yining, he smiled slightly: "What a coincidence, I didn't expect to run into you here."
Yue Yining had just swallowed her words when she heard this and was speechless again: "Lord Xie, this is a bit unnecessary. You and I both know that this is not a coincidence."
Did he mean to say he just happened to be shopping and ended up here? Did Xie Qingyu think she would believe him? He clearly came straight for the case of the new victim.
Xie Qingyu was exposed, but she just smiled and remained silent.
For some reason, Yue Yining felt that Xie Qingyu was acting strangely today. But she hadn't seen Xie Qingyu often, and it was almost sunset today, yet it was the first time she had met him. She wondered what he had been investigating today.
Yue Yining wanted to find out his progress, so she smiled and leaned closer: "Lord Xie, where did you come from? Why do you look so rushed?"
Xie Qingyu looked down at her, her eyes filled with her smiling face.
"...It came from the manor." Xie Qingyu smiled, pursing her lips. "I've been searching all day, but I haven't found anything."
Yue Yining sighed repeatedly, "Me too."
The two of them thought to themselves: This person isn't telling the truth.
Because they were so close, Xie Qingyu could faintly smell the incense on Yue Yining's body, a faint aroma of dried tea leaves, with a taste that was neither sweet nor so sweet, like the green water flowing between mountains and rivers.
Everything returned to normal. Xie Qingyu lowered her eyes.
So the strong perfume scent she smelled last night was an accident. Yue Yining didn't deliberately change the fragrance; she must have done something to acquire a scent that wasn't hers.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two parted ways. Xie Qingyu went to the government office to inquire about the progress of the case, while Yue Yining returned to the main hall to find Fu Yao, preparing to head home.
Jiang Hairong lived outside Suyang City. After today's events, Yue Yining was not comfortable with her going out of the city alone again. He assigned her a guard, but that was not enough. He also wanted to find a carriage to escort her back.
But as soon as they stepped out, they ran into Xie Qingyu again.
When Xie Qingyu heard Yue Yining's predicament, he offered to let Yue Yining ride with him back to the mansion in a carriage, saying that this would free up a carriage for Yue Yining to leave.
Xie Qingyu smiled and said, "My servants just happened to buy some local snacks and fruits from Suyang on the way back. Lord Yue can try them on the way back."
Yue Yining bowed and said, "Thank you so much. I'll have to trouble you then, sir."
As the sun set, carriages and horses drove along the long street. Inside the carriage, a dozen or so bowls and plates were laid out on the table, displaying various cut fruits and pastries.
Yue Yining chewed on a fruit cake and asked somewhat unclearly, "Your guard just said that you encountered some trouble in the manor when you left. What happened?"
Xie Qingyu said gently, "It's nothing serious. It's just that Lord Jin wanted to send me a servant, a very young girl. I refused, and he seemed a little unhappy."
Yue Yining ate while looking at him with sympathy: "You've really had a hard time."
Xie Qingyu smiled and said, "It's no trouble at all, I've already declined."
"Speaking of which, this matter is somewhat related to the Yue people."
Yue Yining paused, then pointed to herself: "Me?"
"He said that the Yue Lord had chosen a young man at the banquet yesterday and brought him back to his room. He was afraid that I would feel that he had neglected me, so he wanted to give me a new bride." Xie Qingyu said softly, "Lord Jin also said that the Yue Lord liked the gift very much and did not let the man return until very late."
Yue Yining nodded: "It was indeed me who told him that. It was a convenient arrangement, since I also needed a cover to leave the manor."
Xie Qingyu smiled and said slowly, "I guessed so too, which is why Lord Yue was able to leave the manor so easily last night. As for that slave, it's already a blessing that he was able to help you."
"In that case, Lord Jin may have exaggerated."
“There’s a reason why Lord Jin misunderstood,” Fu Yao said. “Last night, after Miss went back, she suggested that he stay in the room, so the slave stayed overnight and left in the morning.”
"Ah." Yue Yining thought for a moment and realized that he had indeed stayed in her room. After all, it was so late, so she asked Fu Yao to bring a quilt and let the young boy sleep on the couch in the next room for the night.
So she absentmindedly replied, "That's right."
Without bothering to explain further, the tender, juicy pieces of fruit went down my throat, sweet and sour and crisp, crunching between my lips and teeth.
Yue Yining chewed and nodded: "This pineapple is delicious, sweet and crisp. Yao Yao, you should have a piece too."
Yin Yi didn't dare to look at his young master's expression; perhaps he was smiling, or perhaps he was about to stop smiling.
In such situations, he has to pretend that he is temporarily blind.
After a while, Yin Yi heard Xie Qingyu's gentle voice: "If the elder likes it, then eat more. Take mine too."
"Wow!" Yue Yining's eyes lit up, and she took it without hesitation, adding a sweet remark, "Thank you, Lord Xie, you're so kind."
Looking at Xie Qingyu's calm and gentle face, Yin Yi felt a deep sense of respect. So this was the mindset of someone destined for greatness; he had finally witnessed it firsthand: even amidst raging storms, one could remain steadfast and unmoved!
Because Xie Qingyu spoke gently and frequently, there were almost no awkward silences in the car.
The group of people arrived at the city lord's mansion in high spirits.
As soon as Yue Yining disappeared from sight, Yin Yi glanced at Xie Qingyu and found that her gentle smile had vanished like a receding tide, turning from a spring breeze and drizzle into the dead of winter in the blink of an eye.
Xie Qingyu's voice was indifferent: "Go back to your room and prepare water. I need to wash up."
Yin Yi quickly replied, "Yes."
The garden is filled with lush greenery in spring. Through the small window, the rippling water reflects the blue sky, creating a lake of lotus blossoms under the moonlight.
Inside the room, the screen was embroidered with gold and silver, depicting a thousand plum blossoms in full bloom. Xie Qingyu sat in the bathtub, the steam rising and filling the room with a fragrant mist.
Water droplets clung to her fair skin, making her resemble carved jade, and her slender neck was flushed red from the humid heat. Her eyes were half-closed, obscuring the ripples on her dark, inky eyes, yet she was already breathtakingly beautiful.
Xie Qingyu didn't think Yue Yining would look down on a slave. First, she wasn't a mediocre person who only cared about looks and appearance; second, he knew that Yue Yining would at most pity the little slave, just like she had pityed him when he was whipped in the street.
Most importantly, he knew that Yue Yining would never indulge in lust when she had a whole day of work to do the next day.
The slave named Yue Nu was just lucky. She happened to be the shield that Yue Yining needed right now, and she was taken in by her for one night. She was fortunate enough to sleep in the same room as her, but that was all.
The jade-like young master, with his deep-set brows and cold eyes, no longer concealed his gloom. His wet eyelashes drooped slightly, obscuring the expression in his eyes.
He flipped his hand over, palm up. There were many crescent-shaped pinch marks there, the marks he left when he tried to control his emotions in front of others. If he didn't feel the clear pain, he would have a hard time maintaining his composure.
In front of Yue Yining, he could still try his best to appear calm and composed; but when he was alone, the burning anger in his heart would begin to rage.
All the bitterness and malice he had ever felt in his life had accumulated in one place, like countless hands piercing his heart with countless needles. He couldn't help but imagine how close the two of them must have been for Yue Yining's clothes to have such a strong scent of perfume.
Reason told him that Yue Yining clearly hadn't slept, nor did she care to sleep with that little slave.
But jealousy was completely out of his control, like boiling magma, constantly gushing out from the weakest point of his reason, repeatedly clamoring—but she definitely hugged him, embraced him, didn't she?
This thought was driving him crazy.
The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He felt that even the surrounding steam was repulsive and disgusting, so he simply stood up from the bathtub, the water flowing down his thin, snow-white skin.
He said in a hoarse voice, "Yin Yi, bring a bucket of cold water."
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